eer might be on the other side, within twenty yards
of you; but you must hide yourself, as you will see that we shall do,
and when we have found them, I will put you in a place where you shall
have your shot as well as we. Do you understand, Master Percival?"

"Yes, I do, and I shall stop behind, and do as you tell me."

"Well then, now, we will go back into the thick of the forest till we go
to the leeward, and then we shall see whether you will make a hunter or
not."

The whole party did as Malachi directed, and for more than an hour they
walked through the wood, among the thickest of the trees, that they
might not be seen by the animals. At last they arrived at the spot which
Malachi desired, and then they changed their course eastward toward the
more open ground, where they expected to find the deer.

As they entered upon the open ground, they moved forward crouched to the
ground, Malachi and Martin in the advance. When in the hollows, they
all collected together, but on ascending a swell of the land, it was
either Malachi or Martin who first crept up, and, looking over the
summit, gave notice to the others to come forward. This was continually
repeated for three or four miles, when Martin having raised his head
just above a swell, made a signal to those who were below that the deer
were in sight. After a moment or two reconnoitering, he went down and
informed them that there were twelve or thirteen head of deer scraping
up the snow about one hundred yards ahead of them upon another swell of
the land; but that they appeared to be alarmed and anxious, as if they
had an idea of danger being near.

Malachi then again crawled up to make his observations, and returned.

"It is sartin," said he, "that they are flurried about something; they
appear just as if they had been hunted, and yet that is not likely. We
must wait and let them settle a little, and find out whether any other
parties have been hunting them."

They waited about ten minutes, till the animals appeared more settled,
and then, by altering their position behind the swell, gained about
twenty-five yards of distance. Malachi told each party which animal to
aim at, and they fired nearly simultaneously. Three of the beasts fell,
two others were wounded, the rest of the herd bounded off like the wind.
They all rose from behind the swell, and ran forward to their prey.
Alfred had fired at a fine buck which stood apart from the rest, and
somewhat further of